“The number of children who are born subsequent to a first abortion with handicaps has increased dramatically,” he said. “Why? Because when you abort the first born of any, nature takes its vengeance on the subsequent children.”

“In the Old Testament, the first born of every being, animal and man, was dedicated to the Lord,” he said. “There’s a special punishment Christians would suggest.”

I hope the special punishment Mr. Marshall’s constituents give him is voting for his opponent in the next election.

Progressive news outlets have openly questioned Sarah Palin’s take on this, but I kind of wish they wouldn’t. It was a mistake for her to interject herself into the “retard” argument as now she’s thrust her child into the spotlight, and the poor kid hasn’t done anything wrong. I really wish the media would leave him out of it, but they can’t until she stops talking about it. I mean, the kid is a Palin, he’s already going to be screwed up enough.

Comments

The people that claim to speak for God are an endless source of humor for me. Is there anything more pitiful than someone whose chosen argument is so completely devoid of facts or substance that they have to resort saying it’s God’s argument, not mine? As for that “special punishment”, it must be happy and healthy twins because that’s what my friend had after previously choosing abortion when she was in a failing marriage to a bad man that she knew was going to end.

BluSky – I wish that what you said was really true, but in truth the exact opposite is the case. Godspeak is not the source of humor for me, but is a warning sign of the degeneration of our society and the onset of intellectual depravity that accompanies it. The greatest disasters that mankind has suffered on this planet are derived from such utterances, and I am not amused…

As a parent of a teenage daughter with extreme special needs I take tremendous offense to this. Jeez, as a person and citizen of the world I take tremendous offense to this.
First of all, my daughter is not a punishment to me or to the world. How will she ever be considered a person with rights and feelngs until that fiction goes away.
Last – the abortion analysis is ridiculous, and just as mean spirited.

From the CBS news link: “Marshall posted a statement on his Web site distancing himself from the comments.”
Huh? How do you distance yourself from your own ignorant comments?
And speaking of owning your own idiocy, it is unfortunate for Trig as he has no control over his moronic mother, but Sarah Palin is fair game for using her disabled son as a political football and prop. After all, SHE started all the controversies, first with her histrionics over Rahm Emmanuel using the word “retard” in a private meeting, but hypocritically excused Rush Limbaugh for broadcasting HIS use of the word PUBLICLY over the airwaves on his radio show.
And then to follow it up with ANOTHER manufactured publicity seeking hissy fit over a satirical cartoon mocking Sarah Palin (but not necessarily her son)? Not that she will ever take responsibility, but any undue publicity on her son is all Sarah Palin’s fault.
On a side note, the actress who really has Down Syndrome in the controversial episode had this to say about Sarah Palin:
“My mother did not carry me around under her arm like a loaf of French bread the way former Governor Palin carries her son Trig around looking for sympathy and votes.”http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/20/arts/television/20family.html?scp=2&sq=andrea%20friedman&st=cse
Touche.
I watched the complete episode on Hulu. And if you understand and appreciate Seth McFarlane’s type of humor (not that Sarah Palin can comprehend anything subtle or complex), in his own warped way, the gist of the story line was that Down Syndrome people are really no different from everyone else (save for Sarah Palin as she proves time and again).

Well, we all know that Silly Sarah will do ANYTHING to bring attention to herself. She paraded her knocked-up teenage daughter around the country (nattering on endlessly about the “upcoming wedding” which didn’t happen) and of course, Trig, and his condition. I don’t know about others, but I can guarantee that if my mother had told the world I was unmarried and pregnant at 17, I’d have been totally humiliated and resentful. But then again, maybe the entire Palin family is totally lacking in ethics and class. Certainly they are lacking in education.
An article I read a few weeks ago that was absolutely classic was about Palin having a pregnancy several years ago and the fetus died in the womb. She did not “miscarry”. She and her husband opted to have a D & C to remove the dead fetus. Then she screamed in faux outrage because the billing from the doctor’s office called it “abortion”.
Um……a D&C ending a pregnancy is, in fact, an abortion.
Poor Trig. Having Down’s Syndrome is probably the least of that kid’s worries. Being stuck with Caribou Barbie and First Dude as parents….now THAT’S something to cause him major grief.

Keith – That’s a pretty strong assertion, especially in light of the fact he’s the father of 2 daughters. Surely, you’re not just making asinine statements without a basis in evidence as simply a mindless partisan attack, are you? Please provide such evidence.

yeah, I don’t get that at all. Obama has proven himself to be a concerned engaged parent.
On the other hand, an organization called Fathers & Families led by Glen Sacks is constantly bashing the left for passing legislation that is damaging to single fathers. While I am certainly against any legislation that perpetuates societal perceptions regarding the value of fathers, I think it is somewhat skewed to target the left as the sole perpetrator. Overall, Glen (Sacks) is pretty bipartisan, in fact, he often collaborates with the most powerful lesbian coalition in America, the National Organization for Women.

Shortstuff, check this…
A couple of years ago when I suggested to my 2nd grade daughter that man and dinosaurs co-existed she laughed at me and said that that was silly. I asked the other day if she thought cavegirls rode dinosaurs and she wasn’t sure (We were discussing the use of a makeshift atlatl to chuck water ballons farther). To me that’s worrisome especially in light of the fact that according to MSNBC a high percentage of Texans believe that they did exist simultaneously. I explained to her that they most assuredly didn’t (even though I’m not convinced that’s a foregone conclusion, based on the fact that the emergence of ‘sentient creatures’ has not really been categorically verified). Relying on current knowledge though obviously dinos were deceased about 65 million years before the time of Cro-Magnon. My daughter and I are not finished with that conversation.

This brings to my mind a really funny Jeff Foxworthy bit. It would be funnier if it weren’t so apparent that many people really do think (or not think) this way:
Jeff said he was giving some (redneck, of course) relatives a tour of Los Angeles. These relatives were enjoying the La Brea Tar Pits when one piped up and said, “Man, you wouldn’t have thought the dinosaurs would be this close to downtown!”
Hilarious to listen to…..scary as hell when you think, there are people who believe this…and are reproducing…..

That “dinosaurs and man” argument is INTERESTING. I totally understand the chronology thing. But, I must say, “The Flintstones” is damned convincing. (The cartoon I mean, not the “live action” movie. Rick Moranis was NOT believable as Barney Rubble AT ALL.) I just don’t think the network would’ve put something like that in prime time if it wasn’t feasible.

Hey……I have been to “Dinosaur Flats” several times. I have seen their REAL footprints. They don’t look more than a few thousand years old to me. And they are only 8 miles away from the McDonalds. Coincidence??????

Hey……I have been to “Dinosaur Flats” several times. I have seen their REAL footprints. They don’t look more than a few thousand years old to me. And they are only 8 miles away from the McDonalds. Coincidence??????

That’s just a movie. I don’t care how FAST you go you can’t get back to yesterday. And travelling into the “future”……..tomorrow hasn’t happend yet.
…
…
UNLESS………..you can find a worm hole. But even then…all you really got….IS A WORM.

and when the worm turns…I mean rotates, ya’ just slip on thru…
More important, though, is that in the 5th dimension ALL of time is happening at once. I wonder if AstrosGirl is gonna get mad for changing the subject.

must have been a lone sniper…
I thought I could spin up a few libbers with my NOW comment…hmmm, no takers, but, of course, I was gonna apologize…I still will, apologize that is. I don’t really believe what I posted regarding the demographic of that organization but I know many who do.

Incidentally, I did continue the discussion with my daughter. She said her theory was that why couldn’t have there been intelligent reptilian type creatures. It freaked me out, I promise you I would never corrupt her young impressionable mind with ‘alien conspiracy’ ideas.

Fundamentalists are scary…
I hope everyone is taking note of these people. We will all see more of them in the future. They are infiltrating government at an alarming rate.
These are the people who thinking stoning should be brought back.

Bob, I’m not making an assertion. Those were Barack’s exact words.
“if they(Sasha & Malia) make a mistake, I don’t want them punished with a baby”
Why is it ok to criticize Marshall for believing that special needs children are punishment for having an abortion, but not ok to criticize Obama for believing that a baby is a punishment for not having an abortion.

OK, Keith, if you have a daughter (god help her), and she was unmarried and pregnant, would you force her to keep a baby she didn’t want? Or force her to continue a pregnancy she didn’t want?
All Pres. Obama was stating was that every child should come into this world WANTED.
You are twisting his words and putting a meaning behind them that wasn’t there.
Now shove off. This forum is for people with working brain cells.
You are an assclown and you don’t qualify.

Usually when people have no argument they resort to name calling and personal attacks. Thank you short stuff for proving the theory right. It might help you to pick up a book and expand your vocabulary. People might take you a little more seriously. Until then, using foul language in your rebuttals will get you no respect. Good day.

And to answer your question, if my unmarried daughter was adult enough to get pregnant, it is not my decision to make whether or not she keeps her baby. I will raise her to the best of my ability to be responsible for making her own decisions, even if they are decisions I might not necessarily agree with.

Keith wrote: “it is not my decision to make whether or not she keeps her baby. I will raise her to the best of my ability to be responsible for making her own decisions, even if they are decisions I might not necessarily agree with.”
Nice Keith. You just agreed with Obama on the very point you criticized him for.
Not so easy is it Keith, when you are held accountable for your comments rather than just throw out hit and run manufactured talking points with no context whatsoever huh?

Keith, just to make one more point, I have probably read more books than you could dream of.
I just don’t like sanctimonious jerks who parrot Rush Limbaugh.
You don’t like my language? You can’t handle a few well-placed words like “assclown” and “fuck”?
Then what the hell are you doing on the internet?

Keith’s very first comment when he showed up on TDH in January was “How dare he criticize The Obama!!!”
This is typical for conservatives. As Bubba said, they swoop in with some nasty hit & run comment, then haul ass to the next thread to insult someone else. Guys like Keith infest the chron because of their inconsistent moderation of the boards that allows that kind of crap. When someone angrily responds to them, they feign wide-eyed innocence and shock that someone would actually do that, when, in fact they are trolling for just that kind of response.
We generally let the boards run their course on TDH, letting people express themselves as they wish. We will moderate on occasion as we see fit.
On that note I would like to respectfully advise Keith to do as the last Vice President of the United States did with United States Senator Patrick Leahy…
Go Fuck Yourself.

bubbabobcat wrote: Nice Keith. You just agreed with Obama on the very point you criticized him for.
===========
.
No, I criticized him for calling a baby a punishment. I never said that I would tell my daughter that her baby is a punishment. Being responsible for your actions is not a punishment. It’s what mature adults do.

No Bob, I am not shocked at all that people like you and Shortstuff can’t carry on a conversation or a debate without flying off the handle and attempting to belittle the other person. Like I said, it’s what people do when they have no argument or rebuttal. It doesn’t affect me one bit that you stoop to such a level to call me names or curse at me. I can admit that it was wrong for Marshall to call special needs children punishments for abortion. However, it burns you up inside that I dare to call out Obama for saying the exact same thing. As bad as you want to, you can’t defend him so you resort to childish bad mouthing. Grow up.

Keith – And hence the problem. You come in with snarky comments espousing an opinion that is not based on facts. What exactly did you mean when you said, “he’s not allowed to criticize THE OBAMA?” Did you actually think you were going to get an affirmative response to that? Of course not. You were being insulting.
On to the allegation about Obama’s comment about “punished with a baby”. Since you only watch Fox and listen to right wing radio, you are apparently unaware that that accusation made by said right wing asserts that his comment was about abortion. It wasn’t. Obama was talking about sex education and HIV/Aids…not abortion. He was asked what he would do about sex education should he be elected. Here is his answer, IN CONTEXT, so you can’t distort it to make some false point:
“…So, when it comes to — when it comes specifically to HIV/AIDS, the most important prevention is education, which should include — which should include abstinence only — should include abstinence education and teaching that children — teaching children, you know, that sex is not something casual. But it should also include — it should also include other, you know, information about contraception because, look, I’ve got two daughters — 9 years old and 6 years old. I’m going to teach them first of all about values and morals, but if they make a mistake, I don’t want them punished with a baby. I don’t want them punished with an STD at the age of 16.”
So. You’re wrong, because you are simply quoting talking points from Breitbart or Newsbusters or Rush. Read in context, Obama was talking about EDUCATION, NOT ABORTION.
What burns me up is not that you “called out Obama”, what burns me up is that you are calling him out for something he didn’t say or a position he doesn’t have.
My VP Cheney advice to you stands. Grow up. Get your facts right. Come here spouting talking points and being half-assed prepared, you’re going to get your head handed to you.

Keith wrote: “No, I criticized him for calling a baby a punishment. I never said that I would tell my daughter that her baby is a punishment. Being responsible for your actions is not a punishment. It’s what mature adults do.”
Spin it any way you want Keith, you DID say the same thing Obama said. He was speaking in the context of right wing absolutists who insist on failed abstinence only policies and then follow up with a staunch anti-abortion restriction regardless of the circumstances of the pregnancy.
You sound as “consistent” as your standard bearer Sarah Palin who excoriates Rahm Emanuel for uttering the politically incorrect term (she’s PC only when convenient also) “retard” in a private meeting, yet accepts/excuses Rush Limbaugh’s PUBLIC use of the term repeatedly over the airwaves on his radio show.

There you go Bob. Now there is an argument I can respect. I don’t agree with it, but I can at least appreciate the dialogue. Except for the Fox news watching, rush limbaugh listening comments, but that doesn’t bother me. I do watch Fox News, I do listen to rushs show, but then again I also watch msnbc and listen to Rachel Madcow.
That being said, we obviously have a different interpretation of Obama’s comments. The fact of the matter is, he still said that having a baby was a punishment, despite the intent you claim.

Keith – I’ll sleep better now that you respect my argument. I’m not sure what you disagree with, since I corrected your assertions.
You are certainly entitled to your opinions. You are not, however, entitled to your own facts.

First of all, congrats on getting to 60 replies and msnbc. You beat my welfare piece. I think the term punishment from Obama is a bit strong and maybe the reason for this flap. One of the problems with sex Ed that we have is that we don’t give kids enough info. They should learn about contraceptives but also the different emotional and health consequences of sex. You don’t get that with a just say no kind of campaign. A child is one such consequence. It’s not a punishment as I don’t believe that God works that way. So, suggesting that Obama is advocating abortion because he inserted punishment for consequence is just attempting to make a mountain out of a mole hill. Of course, if conservatives could actually do that, the Rocky Mountains would be in DC.